The Adventists 2

Airs Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 11 p.m. on KPBSTV

Credit: Courtesy of American Public Television

Above: A team of volunteer doctors and nurses speak with a room full of patients. "The Adventists 2" explores the global story of this American-born strand of Christianity known as Seventh-day Adventism, including the church's medical mission work internationally and their more than century-old commitment to provide health and healing in some of the most remote regions in the world.

Monday, September 23, 2013

In 2010, the critically acclaimed documentary "The Adventists" examined the history and core beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists. Its sequel, "The Adventists 2," widens the lens to explore the global story of this American-born strand of Christianity, including the church's medical mission work internationally and their more than century-old commitment to provide health and healing in some of the most remote regions in the world.

Courtesy of American Public Television

In Brazil, young missionaries bring much-needed medical support to the most remote regions.

Courtesy of American Public Television

Patient and doctor in a hospital room. "The Adventists 2" explores the global story of this American-born strand of Christianity known as Seventh-day Adventism, including the church's medical mission work internationally and their more than century-old commitment to provide health and healing in some of the most remote regions in the world.

Courtesy of American Public Television

Volunteer doctors and nurses (pictured here doing an exam on patient while it rains) travel annually to a remote part of the world to perform operations and offer critical care to the poor.

In Haiti, "The Adventists 2" examines the faith-based support given to victims after the devastating earthquake. In Brazil, young missionaries bring much-needed medical support to the most remote regions. In Malawi, Africa, a hospital opened in 1902 as a leper center today treats thousands with HIV-AIDS.

In China, a state-of-the-art hospital exemplifies the collaboration between a conservative religion and a facility of a communist state. And in the Dominican Republic, a team of volunteer doctors and nurses travel annually to a remote part of the world to perform operations and offer critical care to the poor.

“Health care is extraordinarily important to Adventists,” renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson says in the film. “We take very seriously the verse in the bible that says your body is the temple of God and you have a responsibility to take care of it.”

Emmy-winning director Martin Doblmeier calls "The Adventists 2,"“the most ambitious film project we have undertaken. All of us have been inspired to see how men and women with the talent to heal give of their gifts to help those in need in some of the most remote regions in the world. It’s a compelling story because it reflects the very best of the human spirit.”

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The Adventists 2 Trailer

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In 2010, the critically acclaimed documentary "The Adventists" examined the history and core beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventists. Its sequel, "The Adventists 2," widens the lens to explore the global story of this American-born strand of Christianity, including the church's medical mission work internationally and their more than century-old commitment to provide health and healing in some of the most remote regions in the world.

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Peter Landless on The Adventists 2

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Roy Branson on early Adventists

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Roy Branson talks about the early Adventists who were waiting for the second coming.

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Adventist History: The Great Disappointment

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Its earliest roots sprang from the religious fervor and theology exemplified by William Miller (1782 – 1849), an itinerant Baptist preacher who had served in the War of 1812 and been deeply affected by the deaths he witnessed. This prompted in him a great interest in death and the meaning of life. He was not alone in this belief. There were many millenialists speaking out in the early 1800s. Millennialists base their beliefs on a literal reading of the Book of Revelations. They are Adventists because they believe that Jesus is coming again soon to begin a millennial (1,000 year) reign, at the end of which time all righteous people will live with him on earth forever. Some followers of William Miller determined that the day of Jesus’ return was to be October 22, 1844. Many adherents, in light of what they thought would be the end of the world, gave away their money or let their crops rot in the field, not expecting to need either after that date. When the world didn’t end, and Jesus didn’t return, there was a period called the Great Disappointment. Many Millerites (followers of Willam Miller) felt betrayed and left the movement. Others turned to further study of the bible to determine what had gone wrong.

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Adventist History: Ellen White's Visions

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Re-enactment of Ellen White, a founder of Seventh-day Adventism who received visions instructing her on health and wellness, taken from the documentary film "The Adventists," by Journey Films.

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John Harvey Kellogg and Adventism

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John Harvey Kellogg, Battle Creek Sanatorium, and his role in the development of Adventist health care are described in this clip from "The Adventists," a documentary for public television by Journey Films.